Red Hand of Doom DM question

[ProtagonistLG]

Hey Everyone- new member/first post here. Seems like a great forum!

I'm running the Red Hand of Doom and my players are about to engage in the final sequence against against The Aspect of Tiamat. I have question about this creature's attacks:

I understand fully the rules governing full round actions and standard actions with relation to moving etc, however, I know that some creatures with multiple heads get special rules....I'm trying to figure out if this is the case for the Tiamat aspect:

1. Does the Aspect get to attack with all 5 heads even if it moves like how a hydra can, or does she need a full round action (no movement) to do this? Also, can 1 head breathe and the other 4 attack in one round, or is a breath from 1 head a full round action

2. She can perform the "Crush" attack by moving over the characters......can she do this as part of a move and still get an attack after moving over them, or is that her only attack?

3. The stat block in the back of Red Hand of Doom says her heads can each breath (only 1 per round can), but then they can recharge like any other dragon.....but I saw the minis card and it said each head can only breathe 1x per day!!! which is it? I don't have a book with her in it so I'm hoping to sort this out....

Thanks everyone!!!!!

 

[Lord Zardoz]

The Mini's are a different game, so go with whatever is in the stat block at the end of the adventure.

I do not think that defaulting to the Hydra mechanics is a bad idea for dealing with how the heads may act.

Did the Aspect of Tiamat ever appear in any other published materials that give more info than the statblock in RHoD?

END COMMUNICATION

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

It's from the Miniatures Handbook (p. 54), but the MH version seems much weaker than the RHoD version. It does not give any special rules for the breath weapons or other attacks.

 

[Squire James]

The hydra runs under special rules that the Aspect is not using. Since there is no mention of them getting any special version of Combat Reflexes or sunderable heads, I can only assume they only get one attack on a standard action like any other monster. I'd give it the ability to use its breath weapon every round (it's always ready on one head or another). I suggest it breathe on someone if the PC's keep their distance, or full-attack anything that gets close.

On the other hand, giving it hydra-like reflexes makes some sense too, and as written the Aspect is a little weak for a CR 13 dragon. I'd consider letting it have a bonus single action per round as long as it uses different heads (i.e. no biting with a head that breathes).